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Akhil Markanday

Akhil Markanday

Partner

London

Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Arbitration, Real Estate and Construction Disputes (ARC)

T: +44 (0) 20 3400 4344

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Biography

Akhil Markanday leads BCLP’s Real Estate Disputes Group and serves as practice group leader for the firm’s Arbitration, Real Estate and Construction Disputes Practice. Clients around the world rely on his 20+ years’ experience in complex high-stakes disputes to manage risk across their UK activities.

Akhil has substantial experience with the full range of contentious property matters including joint venture, sale and purchase and development/rights of light and neighbour disputes. He also advises clients on asset management matters across their portfolios and has extensive experience with landlord and tenant matters such as rent reviews, dilapidations, forfeiture and insolvency. Akhil is also well versed in protest/trespass matters where he has secured a number of high profile injunctions to help protect clients’ land interests and is also regularly sought out to advise on real estate related professional negligence claims.

Akhil is a well-known real estate litigator, receiving recognition year after year by the leading legal directories. Chambers continually ranks him in Band 1 for real estate litigation and describes Akhil as “an outstanding legal mind who is completely brilliant with clients.” Legal 500 recognizes Akhil as a Leading Individual and describes him as “simply the best, focused, resolute and a great negotiator.”

Professional affiliations

Ranked  Band 1, Chambers & Partners UK, Real Estate Litigation,

Ranked as Leading Partner, Legal 500 UK, Property litigation

Admissions

  • England and Wales

Related capabilities

  • Real Estate Disputes

  • Commercial Real Estate

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Energy Transition

  • Business & Commercial Disputes

  • Real Estate

  • International Arbitration

  • Construction Disputes

  • Data Centers

Experience

  • Acting for the successful claimant in Almacantar Centre Point Nominee 1 Ltd v Farrell [2022] 11 WLUK 216 where the team obtained injunctions to prevent urban exploring at the iconic Centre Point development in London.
  • Acting for the successful claimant in Lodha Developers 1 GSQ Ltd v 1 GSQ1 Ltd [2020] EWHC 2356 (Ch) in a summary judgment claim concerning the termination of a £100M+ property contract at the luxury 1 Grosvenor Square development in London.
  • Acting for the landlord in Colt Group Limited v Unicourt Wandsworth LLP [2020] EWHC 2549 (Ch) in a claim for declaratory relief concerning the interpretation of reinstatement provisions in a lease of a large industrial unit.
  • Acting for the tenant in Pullman Foods Ltd v The Welsh Ministers [2020] EWHC 2521 (TCC) in a dilapidations/contamination claim concerning industrial premises in Swansea.
  • Acting for the administrators in TCG Pubs Ltd (in Administration) v The Master and Wardens or Governors of the Art or Mystery of the Girdlers of London [2017] EWHC 772 (Ch) in a dispute relating to the interpretation of a right of pre-emption contained in a historic lease.
  • Acting for the successful defendant in Century Projects Limited v Almacantar (Centre Point) Limited [2014] EWHC 394 in defending an interim injunction application brought by its tenant, Paramount, in relation to building works at the iconic Centre Point building in London.
  • Acting for the successful landlord in The Hotgroup Plc v The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (as Trustee of the Schroder Exempt Property Unit Trust) [2010] EWHC 1241 (Ch) in a break clause dispute where the court made a declaration that the tenant had failed properly to exercise its break clause.*
  • Acting for the successful claimant in Hiscox Syndicates Limited v The Pinnacle Limited EWHC 145 (Ch); [2008], a fast-paced and high-profile dispute relating to the demolition and construction of the Pinnacle office building in London. The team successfully obtained interim injunctions to restrain the demolition contractors from causing vibration above specified levels to the client's building, obstructing access or allowing water ingress into the building.*

*Prior to joining BCLP

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